Thirteen things you’ll never see in San Diego again

1) Sing Sing: Karaoke Without the Embarrassment. The Shout! House may be the place that comes to mind when the younger generation thinks of sing-a-longs and dueling pianos, but Sing Sing in the Gaslamp District did it first. And, some might argue, a little better.

2) The PB Block Party, aka the Coolest Party Ever. I think someone is trying to gentrify Pacific Beach. Good luck with that. Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending upon whom you ask, the Pacific Beach Block Party is no more. Somebody didn’t like the displays of public drunkenness and unruly crowds. Wait, I thought that was what people moved to PB for in the first place?

3) The Original Children’s Museum. So, maybe you’ve taken the little ones to the New Children’s Museum down by Harbor Drive so they could get their inner Sheldon Cooper on. But back when most of San Diego was little, there was the Original Children’s Museum located in La Jolla.

4) Palisades Gardens Roller Rink in North Park. Most San Diegans drive by this apartment complex on a regular basis, but did you know that it used to be a roller rink back in the ’80s? A giant neon sign would point the way for many a lost soul on a dark night.

5) Lisko Deli & Fish Market. The brightly colored French macarons at Lisko’s were pretty much the only reason I set foot on El Cajon Blvd. Like, every day.

6) La Jolla Brew House. It was sometimes hard to overlook the leftover particles of Kobe beef cooked onto the plates, but Tuesday Trivia Nights kind of made it worth it. That and the ridiculous amount of deals you could get off of Groupon for this place. Come to think of it, I might know why they went out of business.

7) Padres games at the Murph. Back before Qualcomm Stadium was home to the Chargers, it was called Jack Murphy Stadium and was the stomping grounds of the Padres. Remember when you could watch the game from behind home plate for only $10? And, you know, the Padres actually won games? I kid, I kid.

8) Gingham. I guess when you get your own TV show, a little restaurant in La Mesa stops being important to you. Damn you, Brian Malarkey. I thought we were friends.

10) The original Unconditional Surrender. (Or is it “The Kiss Statue”?) Actually, most people probably won’t even be able to tell the difference between the new Unconditional Surrender and the original one. The new one is made of bronze, so it looks less worn down. The old one had character, though, didn’t it? And it’s where everyone already took their picture of themselves kissing their girlfriend. Time for another one!

11) The Epicness That Was Street Scene. The oldest and largest rock festival in San Diego came to a screeching halt in 2010 when the organizers went into massive debt. Trying to book over 70 acts for a two-day festival in a crappy economy probably didn’t help matters. I’m a little sad I missed the Black-Eyed Peas.

12) The Giant “S” on Cowles Mountain. The older generations might recall that Cowles Mountain was more commonly known as “S” Mountain. That’s because as far back as 1931 students at SDSU would paint a 400-foot tall S on the side of it. It came and went throughout the years, but it won’t see a resurgence again anytime soon. The mountain is a protected area now.

13) The Glass Elevator. Nobody too young will remember this, but there was a working elevator on top of the old El Cortez apartment hotel downtown at one time. It was a hydraulic glass elevator called the Starlight Express and it would give families a view of the city on their way to eat. Very Wonka-esque.

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